McEvoy, Fluharty lead way as top-ranked Terrapins blank Hofstra 6-0

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Top-ranked Maryland shut out Hofstra 6-0 on Tuesday night at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex to move to 12-0 on the year. Senior captain Ali McEvoy and junior Maxine Fluharty led the way with two goals each.

“We’re very pleased with the temperament, the mentality and the dominance of the play we came out with,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “As a coach, when you play a game like we played in Chapel Hill, you’re kind of concerned in your next match the opening might be tough to get into. I’m very proud of the Maryland team. Every one of them just stepped to the plate. You could see during warmups it was going to be a learning experience for us and an opportunity to grow our game.”

Maryland (12-0, 3-0 ACC) picked up its fourth shutout of the year. The Terps opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Fluharty was there for a put-back off a penalty corner. Sophomore Sarah Sprink’s initial shot was saved and Fluharty was there to tip in the rebound over the goalkeeper.

Twenty minutes in, McEvoy scored her first of the night to make it a 2-0 lead against the Pride (5-9). After a penalty corner, she had the ball out near the top left corner of the circle and sailed in a shot to the top right of the cage for the score. Two and a half minutes later, the Terps were awarded a penalty stroke, which McEvoy took and made to make it a 3-0 game.

In the 29th minute, Fluharty finished off a penalty corner pass from Hayley Turner and McEvoy to make it a four-goal lead for the Terrapins at the break.

In the 53rd minute, senior Jill Witmer added Maryland’s fifth goal with a shot from the baseline. Thirty-two seconds later, junior Welma Luus made it 6-0 with a reverse shot.

Maryland outshot Hofstra, 24-5, and had eight penalty corners to the Pride’s one. Brooke Cabrera started in goal for the Terps and picked up two saves. Hofstra keeper Kaitlyn De Turo had 10 stops.

Witmer was named ACC Player of the Week on Tuesday for her two-goal performance in the Terps’ come-from-behind, 2-1 win in overtime at No. 3 North Carolina (9-2, 1-2) Saturday. Witmer scored with 7:17 to play to force the extra period when she deflected in Mieke Hayn’s shot. In the overtime period, McEvoy made a defensive stop and got the ball to Witmer, who took it all the way in for a backhanded shot and the win.